Our Time of Need
by CrystalMoonlightII
Summary: This is an Alternate Universe story for Heart or The Fist. It takes place after chapter 28 of the main story. Mike has sustained the ultimate defeat at the hands of his nemesis. Fortunately for him, he is not alone. An unlikely friend, Miharu, is about to come to his rescue. Regardless of their initial feelings and intentions, their lives are about to change... (RATING MIGHT GO UP)
1. Our Time of Need

**I've wanted to write something like this for a long time! I really find Miharu to be an underrated character. In a sense, she's a blank slate that could be developed quite a bit.**

**Set in an alternate universe after chapter 28 of Heart or The Fist, we see how events could have played out if Mike did indeed lose to Kenji in the fifth Iron Fist Tournament. For now this story is going to remain a one shot, but if people enjoy it I might think about continuing it for you all!**

**Without further delay, let us begin the chapter.**

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><p><span><strong>Our Time of Need<strong>

The ear-splitting chime of the alarm on his phone is enough to force his exhausted body back to the cold sense of reality. Eyes cast upward at the ceiling, the first thing this British fighter has in mind is the incredible sense of pain that consumes his whole body. Every inch of his toned and muscular form hurts. His chest has the proof to back it up, marks and bruises beginning to swell violently. Every tarnish upon his skin acts as a painful reminder of the night before.

His first attempt to move from the confines of his sleeping area fails, followed by a second, and an equally feeble third. That is until eventually, a colossal burst of willpower arrives, and enabling him to haul his batted form the king sized bed. Every movement causes jolting signals of pain both to and from his brain.

Once the struggle to his feet is complete, Mike Lennox, the self-proclaimed failure of a fighter move to assess the damage he's sustained. The eyes of the broken fighter burn with disgust as they make contact with the mirror that is just across from his bed. With messy hair; bruises strewn painfully across his chest; and a black, swollen eye, the young Brawler certainly is a sorry sight.

Hatred courses through his veins. Mike's disgust at his own failure twists his face with anger, it contorts his suave yet rugged face until his expression is one of the most powerful self-loathing.

"You failed…. After all these long years of waiting, you failed again," Mike snarls at his reflection, with his fist balled into a mass of furious knuckles.

He simply cannot contain the ungodly rage that he feels. Each moment that passes brings him closer to the edge of oblivion. The proverbial pot of water, as it were, is about to boil over. This ungodly sensation of violence simply cannot be contained any longer. Mighty aggression overtakes the British fighter, to see him lunging at his own reflection in order to swing a fist at the mirror.

However, a mere second before his strike connects, the sound of his hotel room door clicking open serves to return his senses to him, even if they are the slightest bit distorted by the hurricane of malice he feels. With another little click, the lock comes undone, with the handle coming down to signal that somebody is entering the room. The door swings open, with the person responsible for the unlocking of the door making a few hurried steps inside.

Stood before Mike is a young lady, who at first glance, most would believe to, be in her late teens. Her hair; short, brown and vibrant in the intensity of its color is very eye catching to the British fighter. She's wearing a dark green T shirt and skinny jeans. Clutched between her teeth, is the key card for the room.

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><p>She's no intruder though, and Mike's lack of open questioning or hostility both back up that fact. Truth be told, he doesn't know her that well, but her name is Miharu, and as things currently stand, she is more of an acquaintance than a friend.<p>

As soon as her eyes connect with Mike, she blushes furiously, and turns away in the process. It seems like her brain has finally made the delayed connection to the fact that he isn't wearing a T shirt. With her mouth wide with the stammering of frantic apology, Miharu remains turned away.

"Damn, damn, damn, damn! I'm sorry, sorry, and sorry! I seriously didn't think you would be up yet," She continues her apology with unrelenting fast pace, "I was going to bring you some tea to put on the table for when you woke up, but I didn't know what flavour you wanted, and wow, my brain hurts!"

Mike at this point has long since rushed behind the safety of the wall at the side of his bed, reached for his vest from the floor, and put it on. Leaned against the wall with a slightly downcast expression, he sighs, "Don't worry about it! There's no way you could've known I was up yet!"

After coming out from concealment, Mike sits himself down at the foot of his bed and sighs, "Anyway, are YOU okay? You fell asleep sprawled across the coffee table over there," Mike asks, as he points back at the mahogany table at the side of his bed.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Miharu answers cheerfully as she nudges the door shut with the heel of her foot.

"To be honest," She begins, before strolling through the entrance archway to take a seat Beside Mike, "I'm more worried about you. Are you feeling any better this morning?"

Miharu has been a gem to Mr Lennox for the past twenty-four hours. She found him leaving the tournament arena to hit a bar after he lost his match, and worried for him, stayed at his side ever since. In truth, she doesn't really know him all that well. She's met him once before, when he was a spectator in the crowd in Julia Chang's match against her best friend, Xiaoyu.

Intrigued by Mike's presence in the audience, as well as their rather heated exchange in the audience, she wanted the chance to confront him again, and hopefully fight him, but finding him again gave her much less satisfaction. She went all the way to the arena to see his fight against Kenji Takanashi, his most hated nemesis, but instead, she saw the determined man that had peaked her curiosity in their previous encounter be destroyed by his arch rival.

The weight in Mike's heart, along with the extreme frustration he feels at the hands of his own failure won't shift. Shaking his head is about all he can do right now, and that is exactly what he does.

"No, Miharu… But, if it's any consolation, the fact that you stuck by me since last night does make it feel a little better." The Brit admits the extent of his feelings quite openly.

"Well," Miharu begins, as she places a compassionate hand the Brit's shoulder, "I couldn't leave you there! Truth be told, after that time we argued when Xiao was fighting, I wanted to have a chance to see you again, maybe even fight you. You've grabbed my curiosity, Mike Lennox."

A faint and somewhat downhearted chuckle escapes Mike's lips, "Well, I gotta tell ya, I had no idea that was the case at all."

Miharu sighs softly, as she's extremely content, especially after having the courage to admit her intentions, "Yeah! Well, that WAS the case Mike, WAS! Until I saw what happened last night, anyway, and what Kenji did to you."

Painful flashbacks of the events of last night are slamming hard and fast into Mike's mind, with each one serving to shake him somewhat. Each fist veering toward his face serves to make him feel a little nauseous, until the calming presence of Miharu beings him back to reality.

Wanting to help provide some comfort, she pats him on the shoulder, "Everyone knows the deal with the Lennox-Takanashi rivalry. It's all over the news when you two fight, and that's when I realized, fighting you isn't going to help right now," She admits with a soft voice of caring warmth.

"No, it's not gonna help now," Mike says with a diligent shake of the head, "It's not gonna help now because of everything that I lost last night, all the things that went up in smoke back at that arena."

"Hey, HEY!" Miharu cuts in with an upbeat smile, "That's not what I meant, silly! You needed, no; you NEED a friend right now! That's why I stuck by you all last night, through all those streets you wandered at midnight, and it's also why I stayed sat right beside you in this room!"

The expression on the face of Lennox twists. This change seems to follow in tow with his aura becoming more defensive, "You didn't need to do that, you know?! I didn't ask for your help! Hell, I hardly know you!"

Still, Mike's verbal barrage isn't deterring Miharu. The focus she feels in her heart remains solid, along with that same upbeat smile, "You didn't stop me though, did you?"

"Why might that be, I wonder?" The soon to be college student asks herself this question with a look of mock pondering on her face.

"Because," Miharu stands turns and places both of her hands on Mike's shoulders softly, and looks gently into his injured emerald eyes, "…You needed a friend last night, Mikey! You didn't throw me out, because you wanted somebody with you, just so you could face everything! THAT is exactly why I stayed here, and fell asleep on that darn uncomfortable coffee table at three this morning!"

Mike's silence remains a permanent thing. His weak, broken green orbs flicker with doubt and unease. He's afraid, very afraid, but slowly gives a little nod of acknowledgement, "You're… right. I couldn't stand the thought being alone in the middle of this chaos. Kenji's out of my grasp now, and if I don't stop him-"

"Shhhhh," Miharu brings Mike to a pause by placing her soft finger on his lips, "You still can stop him, Silly Mike. You know, I like that one! Silly Mike!"

Lennox doesn't want to admit that his new little nickname is actually enough to cause a flicker of warmth in his cold heart right now, and at the same time he can't contain the little smile it brings to his lips.

The sight of at least a tiny bit of happiness is what It takes to make Miharu sit back down again. Now sat at the foot of the bed again, she seems to have gotten the slightest bit shy. Her eyes are downcast, and she's shyly twiddling with her thumbs.

"Look, Mikey," Miharu's voice is hesitant, "When I broke up with my boyfriend last year, I thought it was the end of the world… I know it's not the same thing, because you totally HATE this Kenji guy, but the point is…."

Miharu swallows her nervousness and brings her head up, while she turns to face Mike directly in his eyes, "I didn't let it stop me, ya know? I'm sure right now it hurts like crazy that you couldn't win, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD GIVE UP!"

Mike is surprised by Miharu's sudden raise in volume. He's so surprised in fact, that it serves to snap him back to reality a little more. He lifts his downcast head, and looks dead ahead at the wall that faces him, "You're right. I just need to get back on my feet first, and that's gonna take time."

Miharu smiles in personal celebration of the fact that her words have finally had some lasting impact.

"Then take as much time as you need," She says encouragingly, "If you like, I can stick around if you want me to? You can hang around with me and Xiao! You would love Xiao! She's a riot!"

Nodding, Mike clenches his fist, and holds it close to his heart, breathing a soft sigh of relief, "I might just do that. Thanks, Miharu."

"Hey! No, no, no! It's Mi-Chan to you!" After that little declaration of friendship, Miharu looks down at her clothes.

"Seriously though," She continues at a swift pace, "If I'm going to stick around here, you better make me a nice comfy spot on the floor, oh, and yeah…. I need to get me some fresh clothes! You can wait around while I go do that, right?"

Mikey, who is now at least the slightest more upbeat than before, gives a solemn nod to his newfound friend, "I'll be here all morning! Go ahead," Says Mike energetically, before taking his spare room card out of his jeans pocket, so that he can toss it to Miharu, "Catch!"

Miharu bolts back with an exited little yelp to catch the room card. With it clasped firmly within her palms, she gives a little smile, "Got it! Now, don't you go anywhere without me!"

A chuckle escapes from Mike's lips in response to her upbeat attitude, "Wouldn't dream of it! Oh, and, Miharu?" asks the Brit.

"Yessss, Mikey?" replies the young lady with dark brown hair.

"I've gotta know. Why are you doing this, helping me I mean?" His voice is soft, yet is also very much to the point.

"Becaaause, Silly Mike," responds the young Japanese lady, "One day, I'm going to fight you, and find out just what makes you so darn interesting! Until that day, I better stick around to take care of you!"

It doesn't take Mikey a second to realize that this bold statement is Miharu's way of showing that she cares.

"Thank you," He goes on to say sincerely, "Seriously, I mean it."

"Of course, Mikey! What are friends for?"

With that, Miharu begins to cheerfully skip toward the door. With her arm outstretched she grips the handle, and pauses for a moment, "I'll be back in two shakes of a fox's tail!"

With that, Miss Hirano departs from the room, with a slight BANG of the door on her way out. Mike is alone now, and at least for the moment he isn't frowning. Instead, he lies back upon his bed, and smiles weakly.

He closes his eyes for a moment, and a lone tear escapes, "I still hardly know you, but I already owe you so much, Miharu Hirano…."

**End of Chapter**

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><p><strong>Thank you for taking the time to read everybody! For now this little story is going to remain a oneshot, but if people enjoy it I might think about carrying it on for a couple more chapters, because it could actually become a nice little AU story for Heart or The Fist.<strong>

**If you enjoyed it please feel free to leave some feedback if you like, and as for me, I will see you all in the next story I write. Thanks again for the support of all my readers! I'm very grateful!**


	2. Our Little Moment

**Okay, I'll admit it. I really enjoyed writing Our Time of Need. So much so, that I'm going to write another chapter. Set a few months later, we see how close Miharu and Mike have become in each others company. This is definitely getting upgraded to M an rating shortly, on account of more mature themes than what is mentioned on the horizon.  
><strong>

**Be advised, this chapter is slightly suggestive!**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 2: Our Little Moment<strong>

It's been over a month now. The tournament has come to a close. Mike is begrudgingly pushing forward, and not because he wants to either. He's carrying on because he has to. The plain and simple truth is much darker. He would quite happily jump in his car and go barging into Kenji's offices right now. If he does that though, he's as good as dead. It's a struggle to keep his lust for revenge in line some days, but having Miharu around really helps keep him in check.

Even though he doesn't say it all that often, Miharu really has been a godsend, in more ways than one. If it weren't for her constant company and friendship it's very likely that Lennox would have lost his cool and gone rampaging after Kenji weeks ago. She outright refuses to leave his side too, not until she's content that he's going to get back to his usual self.

Mike is far from his normal self at the moment. Miharu knows it too. The man she met on the day of Xiao's tournament match is far from the man she shares a hotel room with. He's becoming more and more obsessed with settling the score.

If anything, Miharu's reason is selfish too. The excuse that she gives to her British roommate is that she wants to look out for him. In truth however, she finds herself getting closer and closer to him. Beyond his lust to settle accounts, there's also a side of him that has very noble and honest intentions. They both keep asking themselves the same question though.

"Where will this friendship take us?"

Miharu is all dressed and ready to step out of the bathroom. However, she can't help but think silently to herself for a little while. Just last night Mike was telling her his reason for needing to defeat Kenji. More than anything he wants to restore the family honour. The first time Kenji defeated him, he went on to smear the Lennox name into the mud. It destroyed their credibility and their good name. Just the thought of Mike's honest intentions is enough to bring her to smile. No, it's more than that, she's blushing.

The sight of her own red-faced reflection in the mirror causes her to chuckle, "Oh gosh! C'mon Miharu, stop it now…."

A deep breath makes her calm down from her fuzzy little daydream, "There we go. All better!"

Freshly showered and dressed in her denim shorts and tank top, the young lady is indeed ready to begin her day. She's going to train with Mike today! He says he's behind schedule, and for a guy like him that's not a good thing.

As Miharu steps out of the bathroom she sees Mike sprawled on his bed. He's annoyed, and it shows on his face.

"Hey there you! She chimes in happily, "What's with that glum face, hmm?"

Mike, clad in his favourite denim jeans and sleeveless vest, turns to gaze out of the window, "Look at the rain out there! There's no way in hell we're gonna get any training done today."

Mi-chan sees her roommate's anger levels flying upward. Luckily though, she has a suggestion for just this occasion, "Well, you'll be happy to know that Miharu has it covered! Listen to my super awesome plain, okay Silly Mike?"

Lennox sits upright while reaches for his jacket, "I'll give it a shot. What have you got in mind?"

"We train, in HERE!" Miharu announces. She thinks it's a triumph of a plan. Even without waiting to hear Mike's response, she still thinks it's a great idea! She's just that happy right now.

Lennox chuckles as he stands to his feet, "Okay, yeah…. I guess I can go with that for once. We're in a large suite after all. Help me move the bed though, okay?"

The awesome plan is indeed a success. Miharu is smiling her bright sunshine smile, "Okay! Noooo problem!" She agrees; while giving a happy salute to show her support.

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><p><span><strong>Thirty Minutes Later….<strong>

By working as a team Mike and Miharu have moved the bed out of the way. It sits messily at the other side of the suite they share; leaned against the back wall. They're left with a large open space in the living room area. The only thing that's left in the main room is the desk with the TV atop of it. They even moved the coffee table as well.

"There, that should give up enough space," Mike says, bringing up his fists. He limbers up so that he can fall loosely back into stance.

Miharu is doing stretches, "Don't think I'll be a pushover! Xiao taught me how to fight really well!"

"Well then," The British man anchors his feet into the ground, "You better show me just how good you are!"

Miharu moves in to strike, "Ready or not, here I come! I hope you're prepared, Silly Mike!"

The young Japanese lady sets off on an agile little sprit across the carpet. Her sparring partner is in sights. She's within range, but her feet suddenly lose control! She's falling. Mike sees it unfolding before his eyes! He moves quickly to catch her before she hits the floor, but that makes the situation worse….

**THUD! CRASH!**

Both the lady and the gentleman are stunned. Mike's attempt to catch Miharu only caused her to fall on him with a thump! Their senses haven't quite returned to them yet. The room is still extremely dizzy for the pair of them.

The blond haired Brit gets his head together before Miharu does. When he looks up however, he finds himself pinned somewhat accidentally to the ground by her slender form. Mi-chan has her arms wrapped protectively around his middle, and her breathing is soft and gentle.

She looks down at his eyes, while he looks up at hers. The powerful green eyes of the man have connected with the beautiful brown eyes of the woman. Miharu feels her face burning red.

"You- You," She stammers, "You have such pretty eyes…."

Mike isn't someone that's really had a close relationship with ANY woman before. He's always dedicated his life to fighting. His goal to understand true strength has always been absolute. Right now though, for reasons he can't explain, he cannot control the erratic thumping of his heartbeat.

His heart is so fast in fact, that Miharu feels it too, "Hehehe! That's cute…. Are you shy around girls, Silly Mikey?"

The words aren't coming to Mikey. Silly Mikey is indeed who he is right now. No matter how he tries, the best response he can give is, "Uh-huh…."

There's something about this whole scene that Miharu finds adorable. Mike is one of the best fighters of his country. He's always been shown as a big strong man, yet here it is; his gentle side. He's like a teddy bear.

Smiling softly; Miharu places a gentle hand on the cheek of her Emerald-Eyed roommate, "Stop…. Look, you're making me all shy too…."

Mike gives in to the closeness of this situation. Miharu is so warm…. He likewise smiles in return, "I'm sorry…. I'll try and be a little calmer."

Both of their hearts are beating in unison. Their breathing matches and they're both locked in a passionate gaze. The forces of gravity, though neither of them realizes it, are pulling them closer and closer together. Inch by inch, moment by moment; their lips come ever closer to touching, until they make contact….

They moist lips lock, and as if by instinct, Miharu places her free hand on Mike's other cheek. A soft little moan escapes from Miharu, as Mike's arms seem to coil around her middle. It would seem that after a month of not leaving each others sides, these two really are starting to long for comfort from one another.

Miharu is acting on automatic. Her last boyfriend taught her how to kiss. It's something she's very happy to put into use for Mike right now. Deep down she's wanted to have somebody beside her for so long, and her time with her British friend has made her heart slowly open to him.

Lennox is older, yet he's the less experienced, at least in the sense that he's never had a girl in his life before. Still, he lets his natural instincts take control here. Slowly, he slides his hands down Miharu's back, until they begin to gently caress the bare skin of her legs.

She wriggles and moans into the kiss even further, almost being at the point where she's lavishly tasting Mike's lips. It's at that moment however, that heat of the passion wears off. She comes back to her senses again…. Slowly, but not uncaringly, she breaks the kiss. She's ever so slowly edging her lips away from this of Mike, her eyes downcast to hide her shy expression.

"Let's stop…. I think… that's the most I've done with ANY boy before…."

Miharu climbs to her feet very quickly. Her face is still obscured slightly, but she extends a hand to Mike all the same, "Here…. Let me help you up."

Lennox gets to his feet with help from his Japanese friend. It's silent now. Mike doesn't like how quiet it is.

"Anyway," Thankfully, Miharu is the one to break the silence. "We need some more juice for the fridge! I better go get it! Yeaaah! I'll do that," Her speech is stammered. No, more than that, it's hurried.

"Don't you go anywhere, Mike! I'll be back soon, okay? Good!" She leaves in a blur. It's the fastest Mike has ever seen Miharu move.

Truth be told, he's still totally stunned over that kiss, "That was… a little crazy."

Regardless of if it's subconscious or not though, it's clear that these two are starting to get closer….. It makes them both ask the same question.

"How long can we stay like this?"

**End of Chapter 2**

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><p><strong>I hope you're all happy with my continuation of this. I'm sure I'll be carrying on this story.<br>**

**Please feel free to leave some feedback if you would like, and thank you for taking the time to read this! I'm grateful for all the support I get!**


	3. Our True Feelings

**Well, I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised. I had no idea that this story would grow on me as much as it has. I'm going to be continuing it for a little while longer, so please enjoy.**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 3: Our True Feelings<strong>

Mike stands in the bathroom. He openly questions the direction that his life is going in right now. It's been a month, and Miharu is still here in this hotel room. The nature of the relationship has… declined, however. Ever since the kiss happened, there has been tension. Miharu refuses to leave, yet she isn't talking properly either.

A lot of the time Lennox goes out training. When he gets back she's still there, rolled up in her makeshift bed of blankets and cushions. It has become a routine of sorts. Miharu wakes up at seven to catch the train to school, spends her day in classes, and promptly returns here and sits comfortably in her bed.

Every time that he asks why Miss Hirano is still here however, he continues to get the same answer.

"Because you aren't ready to be left alone yet."

That is the only thing she says, and it repeats each and every time the question is asked.

Mike doesn't question it openly. The urge to do so is increasing with every passing day, however. Still, he realizes that doing that would cause things to become even more difficult.

Sighing, the Brit shakes his head to clear the thoughts that way upon his brain, "Maybe I'm overthinking this."

Then again, maybe he isn't….

Lennox spits his mouthwash into the sink and glares angrily at his own reflection, "You need to cool it. You're gonna get into a world of trouble if you keep questioning everything."

Mike leaves the bathroom upon finishing his evening ritual of brushing the bleached blond hair. Inspection of his watch tells him that it's Eight in the evening.

"You want Sushi?" he asks Miharu.

She's sitting in front of the TV, watching some show about the panda's natural habitat.

"We have Sushi almost every night," She answers with boredom, "How about some Chinese instead?"

Nodding softly in agreement, Mike grabs his jacket off the bed. "I'll go pick it up. Lock the door and keep yourself safe."

Sometimes the Brit struggles to remember that this girl is almost three years his younger. This time though, it computes quite firmly.

"Oooookay!" Miharu replies cheerfully.

Once Mike has left the hotel room, Miharu jumps up out of her bed. After clicking the locks in place, she patters across the carpet to bathroom. She finds herself drawn to her reflection in the mirror.

A sad sigh escapes her lips, "Gawwwd! That guy is so stubborn. I've been here for over a month! I still don't know anything about him."

"Still," Miharu wiggles her hips playfully in the mirror. She's grinning slyly to herself.

"I'm sure I can change that!"

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><p>Mike's return to the apartment signals the arrival of dinner. A joint effort is made to clear all the clutter off of the coffee table in preparation for Chinese food. It doesn't come from anywhere particularly fancy either, just a street vendor that makes Chinese style ramen.<p>

Dinner brings up a couple of interesting questions, however. Miharu asks about Mike's favourite jacket, but he doesn't answer very enthusiastically.

"Had it made especially for me!" That's the sole answer between vast helpings of noddle being inhaled.

It seems like every single time Miharu brings up a question, it is evaded. That is, until Mike sets his noodles aside and looks solemnly into his female roommate's eyes.

"Can I ask you a question, please?" the Brit enquires politely; quietly.

Miharu is taken aback by how sudden it is, "Erm…. Sure? What is it, Mikey?"

"Why are you _really _still here? I mean, a girl like you should be out enjoying herself."

The emerald eyes of the British fighter look away sadly, "Not kicking around this apartment with me."

The Japanese schoolgirl shyly twiddles her thumbs, "Because…." She also looks away in just the same way Mike has.

"Because I want some comfort too…. Wow…. That makes me sound like, super selfish."

"I don't think so," Says Mike nonchalantly.

Miharu looks up in surprise, "R-Really? Okay…. I'll be honest… The time I've spent here with you… it's made me realise just how isolated we both are. You with your fighting career, and me since I lost my boyfriend."

Mike thinks about this past year of his life. It's been very lonely for him indeed. All he's done is hop from country to country fighting in tournaments. In fact, this last six or seven weeks in Japan is the longest he's stayed in one place.

The Brit shakes his head sadly. He looks straight into Miharu's eyes, "I'm not one for been given comfort, Miharu. I don't really know how to react to it. It's been my life these past three years, fighting to win back my pride."

"I know what that's like," Miharu closes her eyes to hide the welling tears, "My situation with my ex-boyfriend isn't as simple as people think. He was my best friend since elementary school. We were inseparable. I knew him for ten years, and out of the blue he says he doesn't want me anymore…."

Silver tears are softly streaming from the eyes of the pretty Japanese high-school student. She chokes on a little sob, "Y-You don't know what that feels like…. I lost my only other best friend apart from Xiao, and I loved him so much…. I really did…."

"Hey…. Hey…. Hey." Mikey gets up from his spot at the table. He takes up his place beside Miharu and places a soft hand on her shoulder, "….Don't cry…. I can't stand seeing a woman cry…."

Still crying, Miharu reached out for Mike and wrapped her arms around his middle, her tears still seeping into his shirt, "That's why I'm still here with you…. You don't talk much, but you have such a good heart. I feel it."

Those words from Miss Hirano cause Mike to hold her the slightest bit tighter, "Thank you…. If you want to know how I really feel…. I'm happy to have you here, Miharu. I'm finally beginning to understand how it feels to have somebody close to me."

Miharu feels loved when those words reach her. She continues to hold onto Mike tightly, but her tears are beginning to subside.

Slowly, she looks up to Mike with her puffy red eyes, "Please hold me for a little longer…."

Those words bring a smile to his face. He can't possibly refuse in offer from a woman so soft and gentle. Smiling, the Brit nods caringly, "Don't worry…. I won't let you go."

So for the rest of the evening they sit together in the warmth of a shared embrace. A little while later, Mike finds that Miharu is asleep in his arms. She looks so peaceful sat there, with a content little smile on his face.

Such a warm sight even makes young Lennox feel grateful for the companionship he has found. Though their circumstances are strange, the Brit is reaching that point where he simply wouldn't think of wishing her away.

"Thank you, Miharu," He smiles softly, "Please, sleep tight…."

**End of Chapter 3**

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><p><strong>I can't help myself with this story! I'm enjoying it, and I can't seem to bring it to a close! I hope that all you people reading it feel the same way too! I'm grateful for all the support people give me, and thank you once again for taking the time to read this chapter!<strong>

**I'll see you all again soon for the next one!**


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